So Tomlin has two years in a row now royally cocked up a defensive game plan in the post season.

This is where I'm at. Everyone here seems to focus on his cliches, his metaphors, his game/clock management, etc. I see most of that as just noise. None of it overly impactful either way. Other than to annoy those that hate him.

That being said, his last two playoff failures have spotlighted his complete inability to gameplan, make adjustments, attack weaknesses, etc on the biggest of stages. It's absolutely unfathomable to me that he felt his teams were prepared to enter their last two playoff games. Just unforgivable.

Let me remind people of a couple of things. Last year Cam Heyward was injured and didn't play. Leveon Bell also didn't play. The defensive secondary was (and still is) young and inexperienced for the most part. This was the depth chart in 2016 :

Those guys were playing aginst what is considered one of the best coaches in the NFL. Two rookie starters. Granted, the game plan against NE in last year's AFCCG was suspect, but it was corrected, more or less, in this years game. Butler didn't just trot out the same scheme or game plan as last year. One has to admit that, yes? The Pats won in 2017 on a controversial call, among others, not because the steelers defense fucked it up. It was actually the offense, once again, that fucked it up. Last year no Bell, and the offense was castrated.

Give a defense the confidence that the O can compensate for youth and lack of athleticism (gronk), and maybe they play better. Or at least rack up some games for experience. This year's loss seemed to be more player execution - reaction, than scheme. Whereas the offense had the a finger on the scale because of haleyisms. AND, the talent on O actually made it a close game, despite giving up 14- points off turnovers.

If the BR doesn't throw an interception - albeit a great defensive play - or displays a bit more pocket presence and doesn't wait for a fumble strip sack, the steelers and the shitty defense win that game. I said it before and I'll say it again. The problem with the O was coaching. The problem with the D was player execution/ talent/ altheticism. There might have been strategic mistakes - like not playing Harrison or no contingencies for the best defensive player going down - but those aren't totally on positional coaches or the DC. I lay the blame for that on the HC.

_________________I wish Fraudlin would get testicular cancer and die after he watches me anally penetrate his wife. - Jeemie